Playa del Carmen Missing Out on Travelers With Disabilities, Advocate Says

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Barriers at beaches, restaurants, transportation and other tourist establishments are preventing Playa del Carmen from tapping into the market of travelers with disabilities who require adapted infrastructure and services during their vacations, according to Rafael Barragán Vázquez, president of the accessibility advocacy group Libertad Accesibilidad A.C.

Barragán said the city has room to grow this tourism segment, but the first step would be expanding accessibility conditions in public spaces and private businesses.

He cited Cancún as a reference, where, he said, beach adaptations were made over several years and hotels that could serve travelers with specific accessibility needs were later identified.

According to the activist, a travel agency and a civil association counted about 7,000 people with disabilities who arrived by air to Quintana Roo last year through reservations tied to specialized services.

He said serving this segment goes beyond having adapted rooms. It also requires transportation from the airport, tours that people in wheelchairs can take, proper access at establishments and medical services, among other conditions.

“If you have a hotel with the right rooms, the right access, the right restaurants and the right bathrooms, this sector will start to look this way,” he said.

Barragán also noted that people with disabilities often travel with companions and stay longer in destinations, which would increase the economic impact of this market.

One of the main limitations identified by Libertad Accesibilidad A.C., he said, is establishments that physically make it difficult to enter or use their facilities. He pointed to restaurants with restrooms on second floors reachable only by stairs.

He also questioned that accessibility regulations for some establishments do not always translate into sufficient adaptations.

“There is no oversight. There is no one to go and check and promote what we so badly need,” he said.

Barragán said accessible tourism development should also include beaches. In the case of Punta Esmeralda, he criticized that infrastructure for people with disabilities is concentrated in one specific point and said there should be conditions to use other stretches of sand in the city.

“Being inclusive means everyone can go,” he said, arguing that accessibility should gradually extend to more public spaces.